Another Use for Vintage Bark Cloth...

In this post, I told you how I had come into possession of numerous yards of vintage bark cloth.  I've made mini stockings, garland, and even given away a goodly portion of it and still have several yards left over.

Enter the ruffled tree skirt that MMS showed us here.   I know you've seen duplicates all over blogland and pinned repeatedly, but here's one more.... my take on the "no sew" tree skirt.

It looks huge in these pictures, but wrapped around the base of the tree it fits perfectly!

This is the tree skirt I've used for the past 10 years ('scuse the wrinkles & all.... our cat doesn't bother the tree, but loves to roam around underneath it!).  Gotta' hide those cords better!

This is my vintage bark cloth version..... a LOT of color going on, but when I finally get to decorate my tree in neutrals one day (read after my kids have grown...'cause Christmas just ain't Christmas without the same decorations year after year!) the skirt will be all the color we'll need!

It would also help if I broke up the monotony a little with different wrapping paper!

So outside of the "gotta-lotta-red goin' on", and the presents that blend in, I'm liking my new skirt very much!

I cut my strips about 4 inches wide and just ran a bead of hot glue down and "smooshed" the material into the glue to make the ruffles.  Many people have said the project is a tedious one, and it is to some degree.  But I had mine done in less than 4 hours (while watching Miracle on 34th Street).

A great movie & four hours well spent!

Linking to..

And the winner is.....

So sorry for not getting this up yesterday.  Suffering from internet issues for the better part of the day.

Any-who, the winner of the Bark Cloth Give-A-Way is Connie, at Quilting by the River.

Congratulations, Connie!

I hope you'll share what you do with it.... I can't wait to see!

Hand-Made for the Holidays... Vintage Bark Cloth & A Giveaway!

You may recall from this post that the living room and our master bedroom are next on the list for some much needed updating.  While I'd love to jump right into the bedroom first, it's going to take much longer and will cost more... so the living room it is!

This is the material I used a couple of years ago to make the window treatments that hang above the wooden blinds.  Much as I love the big pop of color it gives to the high ceilings (that and the red wall!), I'm going for a more neutral look now.

It's vintage Bark Cloth that I bought off of Ebay for a steal about five or six years ago.  The selvage is printed with "Markwood Fabrics...Guaranteed to be Vat Printed".  Not sure "vat" that is (get it?), but.... once off the windows, it looked a little more Christmas-sy than I realized.

I hated to just fold it up and put it away...so I blew the dust off my sewing machine and whipped up these.  Mini stockings.  I've made six so far and plan to "string" them together to use as a garland for the mantle in the office.

Speaking of garland.... I also tried this out for the small tree we decorate for the living room.  I just backed a piece in fusible interfacing, cut that into strips using my pinking shears, and hot glued the links together.  

I think it will look great with the painted wooden ornaments the kids made when they were little.  A little vintage tree of their own!


Now for the Give Away.... I still have fabric left over in addition to the panels I made into valances. The panels are approximately 90" wide by 36" long and there are three all together.  


Have a re-purposing idea of your own (or some naked windows that could use a little Christmas cheer)?  I'll be giving away all three panels to one random winner.  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post.... sharing the post on Facebook would be really nice, too.

The contest will run through Monday, October 31st. and we'll announce the winner Tuesday the 1st.  Easy nuf?

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An Update for Some Outdated Blinds...

I've had these wooden blinds on my living room windows for at least fifteen years.

They were custom made to fit the odd size of the windows and are still in great shape... I like the fact that they're wooden and that they let so much light into an otherwise dark room.  HOWEVER.... unfortunately, I don't have anything in my house that is hunter green any more.  Even the lighter tones of green that are in the room now are on their way out!

Even if I could afford it, I doubt I would replace them, but the dark green is bringin' me down! (that and the window treatments above... but that's another post for another day).

My solution?

Fabric Paint!

Now I realize in the picture you can still see the back side twill strip that was left dark green, but when you're in the room and looking at the blinds, you don't really notice it (at least I don't.... or choose not to!)  And once I've made new window treatments (coming soon...), the green will all but disappear.

Not a bad fix for $2.47 worth of paint and a couple hours of effort.  Oh.... and the window treatments above?  Vintage bark cloth being re-purposed into a holiday surprise (for you and me both!)